Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Radiation treatments in the context you mention would help destroy the immune system while leaving HIV relatively unaffected. A number of years ago, some tried storing some of their uninfected immune cells. After destroying their immune system with chemicals and radiation, they reinfused their frozen immune cells. This did not successfully eliminate HIV, but it did eventually eliminate the patient through death. While radiation kills cells which are in the process of dividing, it does not affect a large quantity of virus. When radiation is used to kill HIV to be be used as a vaccination, the dose of radiation needed is many time higher than the dose which would be lethal to humans. HIV can easily survive radiation levels which you cannot. > > The partner of a friend of mine has run out of medicine options, as > even the newest experimental drugs do little to improve his numbers. > He has recently started a program of chemo-therapy. He told me that > the idea behind the treatment is that - since radiation tends to kill > the fastest growing cells in your body - HIV would be killed since the > virus multiplies at a greater rate than normal body cells. Does this > seem plausible? I don't recall EVER hearing of such treatments. > Anyone else out there have any knowledge regarding this? > > y in Chicago > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Hi , Chemo will kill the immune system for sure. Radiation won't (I'm currently on radiation therapy for Kaposi's sarcoma). Chemotherapy seems to be a very harsh way to kill what's left of a person's immune system. It's harsh, painful, and has horrible side-effects. If I had no t cells left, I'd rather have no t cells without chemo, than to have no t cells with chemo. So, I personally think that this is not standard practice, and I've never even heard of it. However, I can say that I was told I had no options 4 years ago, was resistant to all classes of HIV meds. I am now undetectable at < 50 viral load, and t cells bounce between 225 and 300, and I've been undetectable for at least 3 1/2 years. Lesson learned: Keep the faith, something good will happen. Zacher wrote: The partner of a friend of mine has run out of medicine options, as even the newest experimental drugs do little to improve his numbers. He has recently started a program of chemo-therapy. He told me that the idea behind the treatment is that - since radiation tends to kill the fastest growing cells in your body - HIV would be killed since the virus multiplies at a greater rate than normal body cells. Does this seem plausible? I don't recall EVER hearing of such treatments. Anyone else out there have any knowledge regarding this?y in Chicago Brings words and photos together (easily) with PhotoMail - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.